16 Days of Activism Campaign 2015

For more information please contact :

Center for Domestic Violence prevention: Plot 16 Tufnell Drive,
Kamwokya. P.O Box 6770 Kampala. Tel/Fax 0414531249. Email:
info@cedovip.org. www.facebook.com/CEDOVIPUganda, Web:

Violenc
e
Against
Women
(VAW/G)

Is any act of gender-based

violence that results in, or is likely
to result in, physical, sexual or
mental harm or suffering to
women, including threats of such
acts, coercion or arbitrary
deprivation of liberty, whether
occurring in public or in private life

Magnitude
of Violence
Against
Women and
Girls
(VAWG) in
Uganda.

In Uganda 60% of ever married women

aged 15-49 have experienced some
form of violence inflicted by spouse or
intimate partner (UDHS 2011)
56% of women aged 15 49 experience
physical violence while 28% experience
sexual violence annually (UDHS 2011)
2013 police crime report 3426 DV
cases, (360 women killed), 9598 cases
of defilement and 35411 for child
neglect
2015 UPF Bi- annual report (Jan-June)
indicates that 198 people died as result
of domestic violence.

Magnitude
of Violence
Against
Women and
Girls
(VAWG) in
Uganda.

In Uganda 60% of ever married women

aged 15-49 have experienced some
form of violence inflicted by spouse or
intimate partner (UDHS 2011)
56% of women aged 15 49 experience
physical violence while 28% experience
sexual violence annually (UDHS 2011)
2013 police crime report 3426 DV
cases, (360 women killed), 9598 cases
of defilement and 35411 for child
neglect
2015 UPF Bi- annual report (Jan-June)
indicates that 198 people died as result
of domestic violence.

VAWG is a
result of power
Imbalance

VAW/G is mainly as a result

of power imbalance between
men and women.
It is systematic with
societies shaped by negative
norms that give men more
power than women.
The negative norms allow
men to control the actions
and bodies of women which
results into violence.

VAWG is a
result of power
Imbalance

Society has placed more

value on men than women.
The power that men have
and are given comes from
attitudes, behaviours and
expectations that all women
and men learn as members of
the community.
A communitys social
acceptability of VAW/G and
silence about power that men
have over women allows the
cycle of VAWG to continue.

Connections between
VAWG and HIV

Why women are more socially vulnerable to HIV

When girls and women lack power in their

relationships, families and communities they are
more vulnerable to violence and more vulnerable
to HIV and AIDS. For many women, the violence
they experience leads to HIV infection.

For others, their HIV positive status brings

violence, which can speed the onset of AIDS.
Violence against women and HIV and AIDS are
closely connected.

Violence against women is both a cause and

consequence of HIV and AIDs.

HIV &
AIDS

Violenc
e
against
women

 To save costs at individual, family, community and

national level; An annual estimate of economic

Why
Address
VAWG

burden of domestic violence in Uganda is UGX

77.5 billion.
Individuals spend 21.9 billion shillings as out of pocket expenditure to seek services
from duty bearers and in terms of lost time at work after experiencing violence.
Service providers (police, health centers, courts, shelters) spend an estimated UGX 56
Billions annually dealing with DV cases.
Health care providers spend UGX 18.3 billion annually
Police costs are UGX 19.5 billion
Local councils amount to UGX 12.7 billion.

Prevent HIV/AIDS and other related

health consequences.
Keep every man, woman and child in
Uganda safe at home.

Why
Address
VAWG

Fulfill regional and global commitments

made to uphold the dignity and rights of
every citizen; fulfillment of governments
obligation on the sustainable
development Goal number 5 aiming to
achieve gender equality and empower all
women and girls by;
ending all forms of discrimination against all women
and girls everywhere
eliminating all forms of violence against all women and
girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking
and sexual and other types of exploitation
eliminating all harmful practices, such as child, early
and forced marriage and female genital mutilations
among others.

Health Sector:

Public and government should take VAW

and HIV seriously as urgent health and
social challenges that need to be
addressed.

Ensure that health care workers are

trained in handling DV survivors.

Budget and resources allocations are

available for DV case handling.

Ensure directives, procedures and

protocols are in place and monitored
periodically to ensure effective delivery of
services for the survivors of violence.

CEDOVIP
s appeal

CEDOVIP

s appeal

Ministry of Internal Affairs; (Police & Prisons)

Institutional Training and Capacity building: Include
capacity-building on violence against women and DVA in
the institutions curricula for in- service and incoming
officers.
Resource Allocations for implementation of DVA;
resource allocation should include; monetary, human
resource and logistic s (structures, systems, equipment).
Without adequate funding, legislation cannot be
implemented effectively.
Creation of Specialized police
Departments/directorate; specialized units are more
responsive and effective in dealing with violence against
women. Experience has shown that the establishment of
such unit may facilitate the development of expertise in
this area and may result in an increase in the number of
cases investigated and a better quality and more efficient
process for the survivor.
Protocols, guidelines, standards and regulations; It
requires police leadership to develop regulations, protocols,
guidelines, instructions, directives and standards, including
standardized forms, for the effective and timely
implementation of the DV Act to ensure change in
institutional practices that support prevention and
response of DV.

CEDOVIP

s appeal

Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs;

(Prosecutions& Judiciary)
Allocate budget for the implementation of the DV Act
by: requesting the allocation of funding for a specific activity,
for example, the creation of a specialized prosecutors office
or specialized court.
Establishment of specialized integrated courts or
court sessions to; guarantee timely and efficient handling of
cases of violence against women; and ensure that court
officers assigned receive specialized training and minimizes
stress and fatigue of such officers.
Development of Protocols, guidelines, standards and
regulations for the implementation of the DV Act by court
officials and prosecutors.
Monitoring of courts on change in practice, length a case
takes through court system, analysis of judgments issued,
how the law is used to protect the victims and holding
perpetrators accountable.
Ensure collaboration with other institutions to enable
them closely work together. Although the district coordination
committees (DCC) were established to strengthen
communication, collaboration and coordination among these
institutions, the gap is now to strengthen this space to be
more effective and open.

Ministry of Local Government (LCs,

Probation and welfare officers, CDOs)

CEDOVIP

Allocate budgets for GBV prevention and

response; Local councils need to ensure
resources are available to prevent and respond
to violence against women and girls in their
communities. Support interventions that work in
communities to change social norms that
perpetuate violence against women and girls.

Revise LC courts Act to align with the

institutional changes in the DV Act ie public
hearings, confidentiality.

Training of LC courts on DV Act.

s appeal

CEDOVIP
s appeal

Public/Community:
Women, men, religious leaders speak out
and publically condemn violence against
women and girls
Call upon the government to allocate
funding towards implementation of the
Domestic Violence Act 2010.
Learn about the benefits of using the
Domestic Violence Act; reach out to girls
and women experiencing violence, and teach
girls and boys that women and girls have a
right to live free from violence.
Have responsibility to report to LCs,
Police, Court, Probation and welfare
officers and provide evidence in court.
Demand protection in case they are
witnesses from police.
Teach friends and peers on the Domestic
violence law.

Take Action!
Leading the Way
to end VAWG